


Claire...

by fragilecapricornpanic



Series: PRE-WRITTEN, Pre-Canon Sibling Encounters [89]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Adult Number Five | The Boy, Angst, Angst and Humor, Assassin Number Five | The Boy, Bittersweet, Canon Compliant, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Good Parent Allison Hargreeves, Mentioned Allison Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Number Five | The Boy Whump, Number Five | The Boy has PTSD, Number Five | The Boy in an Adult Body, Number Five | The Boy-centric, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:53:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fragilecapricornpanic/pseuds/fragilecapricornpanic
Summary: Making his way towards a shitty motel, Five made a conscious effort to push his recent actions to the back of his mind. This was all a necessary evil so he could stop the apocalypse. All his marks would die in the apocalypse anyway. In the long run it worked out the same, Five reluctantly convinced himself. He suddenly paused when he saw his sister on the cover of a magazine. That wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to, since he’d worked in the time period of her fame several times now. But this was different... she was holding a baby. Holy shit.
Relationships: Claire & Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Number Five | The Boy & Allison Hargreeves
Series: PRE-WRITTEN, Pre-Canon Sibling Encounters [89]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869709
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	Claire...

Making his way towards a shitty motel, Five made a conscious effort to push his recent actions to the back of his mind. This was all a necessary evil so he could stop the apocalypse. It was worth it. All his marks would die in the apocalypse anyway. In the long run it worked out the same, Five reluctantly convinced himself. He suddenly paused when he saw his sister on the cover of a magazine. That wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to, since he’d worked in the time period of her fame several times now. But this was different... she was holding a baby. Holy shit.

Sauntering over to the newsstand, Five was too in awe to say anything to the cashier - just standing there with his mouth agape like an idiot. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from his perfect niece and his glamorous sister. He’d never seen a picture of his niece before, this was mind-blowing in the most positive way possible. “That broad’s hot, right? The things I’d do to her...” the cashier lecherously whispered, which was goddamn disgusting on so many levels. It was difficult for Five not to just shoot the man then and there. Repeatedly reminding himself that he couldn’t commit murder without being assigned to do so, Five tried to control his intense rage.

“She’s holding a baby, you moronic pervert.” Five snarled with revulsion, grabbing a copy of the magazine and promptly jumping across the street before he lost control and killed the man. Jumping in public was always a risky move, since the flash of blue and abrupt materialisation would no doubt arouse interest. Especially since the only other person who could do that in the history of mankind had vanished nearly a decade ago. To them at least. Sadly it had been a lot longer for Five. A painfully long time of missing out on everything his siblings were getting up to in life. Trying to stop his brain spiralling into thoughts of the nightmare-fuel apocalypse, Five sat down at a bench and flicked through to the relevant article.

A niece. Five had a niece. That also meant his niece was killed in the apocalypse... Although Five knew this information already from Vanya’s book, it was jarring and distressing to be confronted with this whilst it was actually happening. At least the book had been in retrospect. But this just felt like torture. His family were right here, living their lives, and Five couldn’t reunite with them. In this very same country, at this very same minute, Five’s niece was alive and well. That was deeply soothing to know, but also agonising - because it just reminded Five of his inability to be there with her. With anyone.

Deciding he wasn’t in the right state of mind for this, Five entered a nearby bar - actually via walking this time. It was just too risky to draw attention to himself, the commission would be incredibly displeased if the public were to find out what had happened to the mysterious Number Five. If only they knew.

—

Feeling somewhat drunk, Five readied himself to attempt reading the article again. His niece hadn’t died yet, his siblings hadn’t died yet... the apocalypse hadn’t happened yet. It wasn’t going to. Five was going to prevent it from ever existing. “Not in the apocalypse, not in the apocalypse...” Five reassured himself under his breath, receiving a couple of disturbed glances. Scowling at them threateningly, Five wished he could jump over and steal the drinks from their hands just to be petty. That was always his favorite way to mess with people. But no, the commission would lose their shit, and Five would lose his job. And his life. And the chance to save every life on Earth. “Look at me again and I’ll gauge your eyes out.” That did the trick, making both of the men turn around so quickly they almost fell from their stools.

Skimming through the article, Five nervously downed the rest of his drink. And then his shot too. “Claire...” Claire. That was a sweet name, a real name... not a number. Although Five insisted he keep his number, it wasn’t necessarily because he liked it. It was because it was all he’d ever known. He’d never understood how his siblings had all adjusted to being referred to as something brand new. Claire would never have to go through that though, she’d never have to go through a single part of what they’d experienced. Thank God.

What must it be like to have someone who actually shares your genes? None of them had ever felt that before, never had someone who properly looked like them. Claire looked like Allison though, as much as an infant could. If the academy had actually had baby pictures, Five assumed Allison would’ve looked like this. They didn’t have photo books though, because they were lab rats - not children. That wouldn’t be the case for Claire. She’d no doubt be a spoilt brat, but she’d definitely be allowed to have a childhood. His niece deserved that, and all of the overwhelming love Allison would certainly express.

“Claire...” His niece was called Claire. Was this a bizarre and vivid dream? Seeing a picture of her angelic face was almost placing Five in a trance, not dissimilar to the ones Allison put folks in. It had been a hell of a long time since Five had been rumored. He’d always hated it as a child, usually he just jumped into another room before she could get past the first word... but he missed it now, and he had for decades. This feeling came as a close second to the genuine use of Allison’s power.

“Claire...” How many times was Five going to have to repeat his niece’s name for it to sink in? There was a wistful smirk shining on his face, but there were also forlorn tears brewing in his eyes. He couldn’t meet Claire. What if he never could? What if Five couldn’t stop the apocalypse and he’d have to die in the knowledge that he’d let everyone down?

Stop thinking about the apocalypse. _Stop thinking about the apocalypse._ Five yearned for Delores so much, she’d support him through his - even if she was constantly making scathing remarks. Staring down at the picture of his beautiful niece and glowing sister, Five wanted to save this image in his memory forever. Not the horrific image that pounces into his mind and catches him off guard - the memory of finding his siblings dead and buried in rubble. Remembering this Allison, lovingly cuddling her mesmerising child... that was the Allison he needed to focus on. The Allison he needed to commit to his memory. 

Rolling the magazine up, Five slid it into the pocket of his suit jacket. Exiting the bar, Five glowered across the street at the newsstand. He had the mind to go and threaten the creepy asshole, maybe by giving him a non-fatal injury... but that would also make the commission furious if it got back to them that he’d done so. “Claire...” Five peacefully murmured, profoundly comforted by finally learning her name. That had always bugged him. Vanya’s book had probably left it out due to her being a child, but the wondering had still niggled at Five. Now he knew though, and he wasn’t ever going to forget that beautiful name, not until the day he died. Hopefully that day wasn’t going to be the day of the apocalypse...

“Not in the apocalypse.” Five reassured himself at a quieter volume this time, aware he couldn’t threaten to gauge too many people’s eyes out. Plotting some kind of trivial revenge, Five tried to concoct a plan as he ambled down the block. Shooting the guy definitely wouldn’t be wise, nor would beating the shit out of him... What could Five do then? Walking past a bakery, Five stopped dead in his tracks. This was admittedly extremely childish, but if murder was off the cards, Five’s options were limited. Poking his head through the door and reaching inside to grab a pie on display, Five hastily jumped back over to the newsstand. 

Landing right where he’d been stood originally, Five threw the cherry pie in the man’s face. Diego’s power would’ve been good for this too, but Five knew his power was objectively superior. “Say anything like that again and the red you’re covered in will be blood.” Five growled, menacingly yanking the man by his collar. The creep frantically nodded like a pathetic piece of shit, since that was what he was. Letting go of the depraved pig of a man, Five stole some Reese’s peanut butter cups from the stand before he nonchalantly dawdled away. “Claire...”


End file.
